By Ghassan Bannoura – IMEMC. To view original article, click here
At least 700 Palestinians from the southern West Bank district marched on Thursday (8th May) side by side next to the largest key in the world to mark the 60th anniversary of the Nakba.
photo by IMEMC’s Ghassan Bannoura
Today’s event, which was organized by the Palestinian Committee for commemorating the 60th Nakba year, started at around midday from the Duhyisha Refugee camp located in the southern part of Bethlehem.
The event started as a truck arrived with the largest key in the world, and then people followed all the way to Al Azah refugee camp then to Ayidah refugee camp were the key was installed on a concert gate. The key represents symbolize the right of retune to the Palestinian refugees.
Speeches were delivered as the key was installed on top of the gate. The first speech was delivered by an old man, Haj Abu Ahmad, who witnessed the Nakba first hand.
Later, speeches were given by local MPs and political leaders that restated the Palestinian demand of right of return
The commemoration of the Nakba – Palestinians remember the creation of the state of Israel on their land in 1948, which resulted in the displacement of over 700,000 people from their homes, and the imprisonment of the rest into refugee enclaves in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
After midday prayers approximately 100 Palestinian, Israeli and international activists gathered for the Friday demonstration against the wall in Bil’in. This week, the protest was held in solidarity with the Palestinian workers to mark International Workers’ Day on Thursday.
Protesters set off on a seldom used to route to the wall. Their arrival at the wall was met by soldiers threatening to shoot anyone who approached the wall. After several minutes of chanting soldiers started shooting rubber bullets and tear gas at the protesters. The protesters began to move up to the usual site of the wall protests, the gate that seperates the village from it’s land. The soldiers continued their violence, aiming low with their tear gas canisters which increases the risk that someone will be struck by one possibly resulting in serious injuries. The tear gas canisters set the dry grass in the area on fire in many places. Thankfully the protesters were able to put out the fires before they spread too far. The soldiers continued shooting tear gas even after the protest was over despite the risk of fires.
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Anti Wall demonstration in a Bethlehem village, two Palestinians injured
For original article, published in IMEMC, click here
An anti-Wall demonstration of at least two hundred of the residents of the al Ma’sarah village near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem and dozens of International peace activists on Friday.
Demonstrators marched from a high school in the village of Al Ma’sarah towards the construction site of the Separation Wall on the village’s farmlands. Work began a year and a half ago no the village’s lands, aimed at confiscating and isolating ten of thousands of dunums of Al Ma’sarah’s land, located south-west of Bethlehem.
This week’s demonstration was to celebrate May Day (International Workers Day), and was attended by Dr Mustafa al Barghuthi, secretary general of the Palestinian National Initiative, and Khalid al A’za , head of the Popular Committee of Land Defense and Settlement in the Bethlehem district. In addition, there were also a number of representatives of different organizations present.
In a speech delivered during today’s protest , Dr al Barghuthi denounced the Israeli procedures in an attempt to prevent the Palestinians from conducting any peaceful demonstration, affirming that “such procedures will not intimidate us [Palestinians] and that the Palestinians are stronger, and the ones that deserve to live freely and in dignity on the land of their fathers and ancestors .”
Dr. al Barghuthi added that, “the Wall’s destiny is to fall, as well as occupation is to end “. He called for ending the internal disagreements among Palestinian factions and to hold on to unity, which he described as ” an effective weapon to face the conspiracies on our cause.”
Al Barghuthi went on saying that recent political manoeuvers are aiming to separate the West Bank from the Gaza Strip and to destroy the idea of a Palestinian contiguous state, while turning Palestine into ghettoes and enclaves. He added that ” we were not in need of five months of negotiations so that the Palestinians will find out what Israel is planning is an apartheid state and a tiny Palestinian state without East Jerusalem, the Jordan Valley and the settlements.’
He noted that “a real State of Palestine should have a full sovereignty over its land, water, and borders, through ending the occupation and dismantling settlements from all of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including east Jerusalem, and dismantling the Separation Wall.”
As the protesters were about reach the construction site of the Wall, the Israeli army installed military roadblocks and prevented them from proceeding any further.
Mohammad Brejieh, the media spokesperson of the Popular Committee, said that two Palestinians were injured. He added that the Israeli army took many tight procedures to prevent the International peace activists from reaching the village by installing many roadblocks and closed the roads that lead to the village. The soldiers had confiscated a bus with more than sixty international peace activists for more than three hours to prevent them from participating in the protest.
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Al Khader Villagers Protest the Israeli Wall
For original article, published by IMEMC, click here
The Popular Committee of Al-Khader village, located near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, organized a non-violent demonstration in protest of the construction of the illegal Israeli segregation barrier, as well as the discriminatory and oppressive Israeli policies used daily against Palestinians.
On Friday about 300 residents of Al Khader, along with international and Israeli activists, gathered in the village. The village’s residents performed their Friday prayers at Al Nashah Israeli checkpoint located at the entrance of Al Khader.
Afterwards Dr. Mustafa Al Barghuthi, a Palestinian MP, gave a speech calling for the continued resistance against the wall and the Israeli settlements.
Soldiers were deployed, but the protesters stood their ground for nearly an hour before deciding to end the action.
Activists and many international and Israeli organizations allege that as a result of Israel’s construction of the illegal apartheid wall, the free movement of Palestinians, especially workers, has been heavily restricted. The apartheid wall separates workers from their workplaces, leaving them facing serious levels of poverty.
For the original report from IMEMC on the 25th April, click here
On Friday, the villagers of Bil’in located near the central West Bank city of Ramallah conducted their weekly non-violent protest against the illegal Israeli wall built on the village land.
As the case each week, villagers from Bil’in along with Israeli and international peace activists marched towards the location of the Wall which is separating the village from its land. As soon as the protest reached the gate of the Wall soldiers showered the protesters with tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets. Scores of protesters were treated for gas inhalation.
The village of Bil’in has been protesting the construction of the wall on the village’s land since around three years.
Today Abdullah abu Rahmeh, the coordinator of The Popular Committee for Wall and Land Defense welcomed the international supporters who came from different countries in support of the local residents of the village of Bil’in in their anti Wall and settlement weekly protest.
Fabio, an Italian of the European Communist Party delivered a speech in which he expressed his support and solidarity with the residents of Bil’in. Hassan , a member of the Chic communist party praised the struggle of the residents of Bil’in and their right of having an independent State affirming the support of the European socialist parties of the Palestinians until gaining their freedom and independence.
Meanwhile, a delegation of physicians of the United Nations offered treatment and medicines to the residents of Bil’ien due to the bad economic and health situation and in the village.
Ahmad Yaseen, head of the village Council thanked the delegation headed by Dr Ghalib al Basheer for their support.
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Tel Rumeida:
On Friday 25th April, over 150 Palestinians, internationals and Israeli’s demonstrated in Tel Rumeida, Hebron, to mark the anniversary of the of occupation of the West Bank. The demonstration was organised to show solidarity with those Palestinians who live next to the illegal settlements.
The demonstration then proceeded to Abraham’s mosque, blocking a nearby settler road. Settlers immediately came out and violently attacked the protesters, while the Israeli army watched. The settlers then slashed the tires of two cars belonging to those showing solidarity with the Palestinians.
Despite these acts of aggression from the settlers, when the Israeli police arrived, they arrested 60 of the Israeli and international protesters, despite no reason being given for their arrest. All were released later that day.
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Al-Khader:
For original report from IMEMC on the 25th April 2008, click here
The Village of Al Khader stage a nonviolent protest against the Israeli Wall
Around 100 villagers from Al Khader village located near Bethlehem city in the southern part of the West Bank supported by a small number of international and Israeli peace activist protest the illegal wall Israeli is building on the village land.
The protest took the form of holding the Friday prayer in the street at the presence of around 30 Israeli soldiers. The protest ended after speeches by the local committee against the wall and settlement construction was delivered.
Samer Jaber, told IMEMC that Friday’s protest comes as part of the ongoing efforts to protest the wall and protect the lands of Al Khader. He added that the Israeli troops manning the checkpoint near the village did not allow the Israeli activists to come inside the village to join the Friday activity, so they had to get to the village from a different route.
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Shabtin village:
On Friday 25th April, dozens of Palestinian protesters from the village of Shabtin marched together against the illegal settlement work that is taking place close to their homes. Four of the demonstrators were injured, two by live ammunition, as the Israeli army attacked the demonstration.
The demonstration was organised in protest to the Israeli construction that is taking place right next to the village. The night before the protest, villagers were kept awake until the early hours of the morning as Israeli machinery was clearing the land. Villagers have also expressed deep concern as to the impact that the heavy machinery is having on the foundations of their houses.
Villagers gathered after noon prayer and marched to the construction site, managing to disable one of the bulldozers before the Israeli army quickly arrived and started shooting live ammunition and rubber coated steel bullets into the crowd, injuring four people.
As the villagers retreated, the Israeli army followed them constantly firing, continuing for over an hour and a half.
The Israeli army prevented a number of Israeli peace activists to join the Palestinian residents of Al-Khader in their weekly nonviolent protest against the construction of the separation wall on their land on Friday at noon.
Eyewitnesses told IMEMC that troops stopped the Israeli activists and took the keys of their cars at one of the entrances of the village, and informed the activists that they will get their keys back only if they are going back to Jerusalem.
Coordinator of the Local Committee for Popular Resistance in Bethlehem Samer Jaber, said “This is an attempt by Israel to prevent solidarity with the Palestinians in their just struggle to end the Israeli occupation.”
“Israel has prevented hundreds, if not thousands, of Internationals to come to Palestine the moment they figured out that those internationals are coming to join nonviolent activities with the Palestinians,” Jaber added.
Jaber told IMEMC that around 150 Palestinians and Internationals, protested near the southern entrance of Bethlehem area. The protest took the form of holding the Friday prayer in the street at the presence of around 60 Israeli soldiers.
The protestors dispersed after the Imam gave a speech to the worshippers and protestors calling for an ongoing nonviolent resistance to end the Israeli occupation.
On Sunday, March 30th, more than 200 protesters took to the main street in Umm Salamuna to demonstrate against the Apartheid wall. What is usually a small weekly demonstration in Umm Salamuna, was this week host to an increased amount of demonstrators in honor of Land Day. Local community members, students from El Sawara high school from the nearby El Masara village, 5 Israelis and 3 Internationals attended this weeks protest. But this increased amount of protesters meant a higher level of military presence. The demonstrators walked from the center of Umm Salamuna and up the main road, where they were stopped by the army who had blocked the road with barbed wire. Four people suffered minor injuries, when the army physically pushed the protesters away with the barbed wire.
Two members of the community spoke about land day and the significance of the 1976 events when 6 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army. They also sent out a call for solidarity to the Arab Nations meeting in Damascus this week
To date, 14 km of the wall have been completed in the Umm Salamuna area. The construction of the apartheid wall in this area, 12 km from the green line, means the confiscation of thousands of dunums of fertile farm land from the local people. This land will be annexed to the nearby Efrat settlement, which has announced the construction of 54 additional housing units. Local farmers access to the land has been made difficult; daily, they are harassed or denied access to their land by the Israeli army.
Water accessibility has also become a problem in Umm Salamuna. The Efrat settlement is polluting their source of water, as well as leaving only a short supply of water, especially in the summer months, for the local Palestinian villages.
